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Mehluli Sibanda in BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE will be out to avoid further humiliation at the hands of the buoyant Afghanistan when the two teams in the tour concluding second Twenty20 International at Queens Sports Club this afternoon. The visitors piled more misery on their hosts with a six-wicket victory in the first T20 at the same venue on Monday and will go all out for the kill with the aim of completing a remarkable series win.
Afghanistan, ranked five places above Zimbabwe in the International Cricket Council T20I, are actually the heavyweights in the shortest format of the game. Zimbabwe are at their lowest, with their pride dented by the embarrassing 2-3 ODI series loss to the Asians, and head into today’s fixture driven by the desire to avoid more shame. On Monday, Zimbabwe started off brightly with the bat, the opening pair of Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Sikandar Raza putting on a century partnership.
But, when the two departed, the home side lost their batting momentum as they made 153 runs for the loss of five wickets. Zimbabwean bowlers have done well during this tour only for the batsmen to let them down. Left arm spinners Wellington Masakadza, Tendai Chisoro and Sean Williams have bowled brilliantly throughout.
Zimbabwe will once again look to Raza, Chibhabha, Williams, Craig Ervine, Malcolm Waller, Richmond Mutumbami and skipper Elton Chigumbura to deliver with the bat. Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran are key with the bat for Afghanistan while in the bowling department seamer Dawlat Zadran has managed to exploit the conditions as shown by him picking three wickets on Monday as he won the man-of-the-match award.
Online Reporter